By Panos Katsiroubas/ info@eurohoops.net
The Magnifying Glass focuses its attention on Game 5 between Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and FC Barcelona Lassa as the Russian team achieved Final Four qualification for the first time in its history!
After a thrilling game in which Lokomotiv managed to subdue Barcelona again, Krasnodar is celebrating the city’s pride and joy. Fueled by a Game 4 road win in Barcelona, the home team stepped on court with a positive mindset and a foot on the gas. With five players able to do everything on the court, the hosts struck at Barcelona’s slow defense in many ways; with numerous gaps opened by the isolation game of its guards, but also good pick-and-rolls with fast drives by Victor Claver and Anthony Randolph. They forced the Barcelona’s defense to send help inside, resulting in good kick-out passes for early and open shot opportunities.
When the open shot didn’t happen quickly because the defense covered the first pass well, Lokomotiv used extra passes and ideal spacing to eventually create desirable shots from the perimeter. Malcolm Delaney, very aggressive as he tried opening up the defense without wasting time and slowing down attacks, was amazing in yet another game. Lokomotiv’s Game 4 tactic of attacking Barcelona center Ante Tomic was put into effect in Game 5, too, with Randolph leading the way but all of the team’s screens being set up by the player that the Croatian center was guarding.
Lokomotiv’s pace was amazing throughout the entire first half as it struck at every opportunity, in transition as well. The 11-point difference was perhaps small when one considers the image presented by both teams in the opening 20 minutes. The home team underperformed in transition defense and didn’t make good use of the fouls they had at their disposal, especially in the first quarter, conceding some easy points. But the offense made the difference, with Lokomotiv making more than 50% in both two- and three-point shooting, while dishing 11 assists against just 2 turnovers!
In the third quarter, the game changed due to Barcelona’s match-up zone defense. It differed from a pure zone in that the players guarded spaces at the same time that they faced their opponents one-on-one, but it wasn’t especially mobile. The home team started to lose concentration and after making 19 shots in the first half, converted only 3 in the third quarter. Juan Carlos Navarro and Stratos Perperoglou provided solutions and Barcelona turned the scoreboard around with an 8-23 run to lead by as many as 6 points. In the last quarter, Barcelona, for no apparent reason, abandoned the defense that had helped them get back in the game and Lokomotiv struck in their favorite way: attacking Tomic, who now had fatigue to manage as well.
Chris Singleton took advantage of this particular tactic by shooting both from long range and close to the basket. With 11 points of his own in an overall 14-0 run, Lokomotiv regained the lead. Even when Barcelona coach Xavier Pascual returned to the zone, sharpshooter Matt Janning ended the game with 5 consecutive points. The home team’s defense was tough as nails, neutralizing all of Barcelona’s guards, while Singleton dealt with Tomic on defense without any extra help. Lokomotiv conceded only 5 points in the last 10 minutes and earned a spot in Berlin deservedly.